##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,                                          ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,               WINDS ESKER                ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,                                          ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO  YEARS ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, I  COULDN'T GO  TO. REGARDLESS  HOW MUCH ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS, OR  POINTED  OUT ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, ON MAPS, I  COULD  NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, ALONE. I  WOULD  OFTEN  TRAVEL PAST  THE ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT TURN  WOULD  SURELY ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN  THEN, SOMETHING ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,               KEPT ME AWAY.              ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, WHEN  I  FINALLY GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,,     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, ASSUME,  THE  PLACE   WAS   SURREAL.  AN ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, ESKER, LIKE  A  NEEDLE-THIN  RIFT OUT IN ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS   HIGH  AND ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, ADORNED IN BIRCH,  WILLOW, BRACKEN,  AND ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,               BLUEBERRIES.               ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, NOTICE THE  VIEW TO  EITHER  SIDE. THERE ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE  THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE,  AS THE LAKE SHOULD ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, STRETCH  FOR A HUNDRED  METERS  MORE  ON ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW I  FELT  I  COULD ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, ALMOST  REACH  OUT  AND TOUCH  THEM. AND ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES  THEY ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, THEY WERE  OF THE  RIGHT LAKE.  BUT THIS ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,      LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND       ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, BIPARTITE.  LIKE A PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH  NO LESS THAN ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,,     IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY    ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, UNDERSTOOD  THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                   AWAY.                  ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, I  EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE   TREELINE ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU  SAW  OPPOSITE, ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,                 REMEMBER.                ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, CARRYING FORWARD,  ON  THE  VERY TIP  OF ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, THE ESKER,  I  FOUND THE  RUINS OF  SOME ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, THE  MOSS,  AND  STRANGE SLABS  INSERTED ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, INTO  THE SLOPE LIKE  DAMS  AGAINST  THE ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,              GROUND ITSELF.              ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, SITTING  THERE,  I COULD SEE ACROSS  THE ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, NARROWED LAKE MY  ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL OF  MY  HOUSE, ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, THROUGH  THE OLD  WOODS BEHIND THE  TILE ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, TWENTY THREE  AND THEN  BACK  UNDER  IT, ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, THROUGH  THE  FANCY   VILLAS,  OVER  THE ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT  TURN AT THE ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,                   FORK.                  ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, AND THEN  THE STAIRS UP  ON  THE  RIDGE. ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, THINKING BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, HIDDEN  IN  A  GROVE,  THERE WERE STAIRS ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,, MUCH LIKE  THE  ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, OLD AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU  UP ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,, ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY.  HAD ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, I  INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT  ITS ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, FOOT, I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,, ON  THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE   IN ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,, BOATS. I WONDERED,  COULD THEY  EVEN SEE ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,, ME?  IF  I  SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY TURN TO ,,,,~^†*@#
##@*†^~,,,          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         ,,,~^†*@##
###@*†^~,,                                          ,,~^†*@###
##@*†^~,,,                                          ,,,~^†*@##
#@*†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†*@#
@*†^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^†*@
#@*†^~,,,,                                          ,,,,~^†*@#